November 3, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Scenes from the All Beans Considered food preservation class at the Sitka Kitch

Students learned how to make and can pickled green beans and a pickled three-bean salad during the All Beans Considered food preservation class held Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

This class was taught by Callie Simmons, who works for Sitka Conservation Society and helped teach cooking and food preservation classes to the Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H club. Callie was one of seven Sitka residents who took a Food Preservation Instructor certification course in May from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.

The Sitka Kitch was a project of the 2013 Sitka Health Summit, and is coordinated by the Sitka Conservation Society.. The Sitka Kitch can be rented to teach cooking and food preservation classes, by local cottage food industry entrepreneurs who need a commercial kitchen to make their products, and for large groups needing a large kitchen for a community dinner. To learn more about how to rent the Sitka Kitch, please go to the website at http://www.sitkawild.org/sitka_kitch.

Also, don’t forget the Sitka Kitch is offering a Cooking From Scratch series of classes this fall. This series includes a whole-grain breads baking class using the Tassajara technique on Monday, Nov. 7; a class on making homemade yogurt from powdered milk class on Monday, Nov. 14 (this class was rescheduled from an earlier date); and a Winter Morning Creations class featuring baked or fried pancakes from around the world on Monday, Dec. 5. All classes are from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Sitka Kitch (located in First Presbyterian Church at 515 Sawmill Creek Road), and all three classes will be taught by Lisa Sadleir-Hart.

The classes cost $27.50 per student, plus a food/supply fee shared among the students in the class. Space is limited and we need at least eight students for the class to happen. The registration deadline is late the Friday evening before each class. For more details and to register for the classes, go to https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com/and click on the class title.

A slideshow of scenes from the All Beans Considered class is posted below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

November 1, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Check out the November 2016 edition of the Sitka Local Foods Network newsletter

The Sitka Local Foods Network just sent out the November 2016 edition of its monthly newsletter. Feel free to click this link to get a copy.

This edition of the newsletter has brief stories about our need for new board members, a new #GivingTuesday fundraising campaign that launches on Nov. 29, two food-related projects chosen at the recent Sitka Health Summit, and the Sitka Kitch hosting a Cooking From Scratch class series for Fall 2016. Each story has links to our website for more information.

You can sign up for future editions of our newsletter by clicking on the registration form image in the right column of our website and filling in the information. If you received a copy but didn’t want one, there is a link at the bottom of the newsletter so you can unsubscribe. Our intention is to get the word out about upcoming events and not to spam people. We will protect your privacy by not sharing our email list with others.

October 13, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Sitka Kitch to host second annual Cooking From Scratch class series in Fall 2016

Ever wanted to learn how to cook more and better food for less money?

Join us for the second annual Cooking from Scratch series of cooking classes at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen, which is located in the First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road). Registered dietitian and health educator Lisa Sadleir-Hart, MPH, RD, will teach three classes designed to help Sitka residents learn how to expand their culinary skills while also eating healthy and stretching their food dollars.

The first Sitka Kitch Cooking from Scratch class is from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, and will focus on basic whole-grain breads (registration link) using the Tassajara bread technique. This class was offered last year and the students enjoyed learning this simple way to bake whole-grain breads.

The second class in this year’s fall series will focus on how to make yogurt using nonfat dried milk (registration link). It will be offered from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14 (this class was rescheduled from its original Oct. 10 date). We offered this class last year, and it was a big hit.

The third Cooking from Scratch class will focus on winter morning creations (registration link), featuring baked and fried pancakes from around the world. It will be taught at 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5. This class is new this fall, and it will teach students how to make a Finnish baked pancake called Krupso, the Eastern/Middle Eastern potato pancakes called Latke, Swedish pancakes, and Strata, a baked bread and egg dish.

The Cooking from Scratch series goal is to teach basic cooking skills using high-quality ingredients, and to help Sitkans take back their kitchens and reduce their food budgets. Interested individuals can register at https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com/ (click on the event title to register, and use our PayPal feature to pay for the class). We need at least eight students registered for each class to guarantee they happen.

Class size is limited, so register early. The cost is $27.50 per class, plus a food/supply fee that will be divided among registered participants. The registration deadline is late on the Friday night before each class. For more information about the class series, call Lisa Sadleir-Hart at 747-5985.

October 13, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H program to hold open house on Thursday, Oct. 20, at UAS Sitka Campus

Sitka youth ages 5-18 and their parents are invited to an open house from 4-6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, at the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus for the Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H program.

The Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H program offers a variety of programs for kids, including gardening, biking, photography, hiking/expeditions, healthy living, climbing, shooting sports, and environmental stewardship. The program focuses on the Alaska Way of Life, with a variety of activities common to life in Sitka.

The program is coordinated by the Sitka Conservation Society, in partnership with the Sitka District Office of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service (which operates the Alaska 4-H program throughout the state). For more information about the Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H program, contact Jasmine Shaw of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service in Sitka at 747-9440 or jdshaw2@alaska.edu.

October 6, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Sitka Kitch to host Preserving the Harvest class called All Beans Considered

Are you interested in learning how to preserve beans and bean dishes? Join Callie Simmons as she teaches Sitka residents how to can and pickle beans so they can use them throughout the year. Callie will teach the Preserving the Harvest series class “All Beans Considered” from 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen (located at the First Presbyterian Church, 505 Sawmill Creek Road).

Callie helped with several of the 4H food preservation classes this year while working for the Sitka Conservation Society, and she took this year’s Certified Food Preservation Instructor training from the UAF Cooperative Extension Service.

This class costs $27.50 per student, plus a food/supply fee that will be split among all students in the class. Space is limited, so register early to guarantee your spot in the class. We need at least eight students to make this class happen, and the registration deadline is the night of Saturday, Oct. 29. For more information, email sitkakitch@sitkawild.org.

Also, don’t forget the Sitka Kitch is offering a Cooking From Scratch series of classes this fall. This series includes a whole-grain breads baking class using the Tassajara technique on Monday, Nov. 7; a class on making homemade yogurt from powdered milk class on Monday, Nov. 14 (this class was rescheduled from an earlier date); and a Winter Morning Creations class featuring baked or fried pancakes from around the world on Monday, Dec. 5. All classes are from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Sitka Kitch, and all classes will be taught by Lisa Sadleir-Hart. The classes cost $27.50 per student, plus a food/supply fee shared among the students in the class. For more details and to register for the classes, go to https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com/ and click on the class title.

October 4, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Check out the October 2016 edition of the Sitka Local Foods Network newsletter

The Sitka Local Foods Network just sent out the October 2016 edition of its monthly newsletter. Feel free to click this link to get a copy.

This edition of the newsletter has brief stories about the Sitka Farmers Market earning Best In Class honors from the American Farmland Trust Farmers Market Celebration voting, the Sitka Kitch hosting a Cooking From Scratch class series for Fall 2016, the October meeting of the informal Sitka Garden Club. Each story has links to our website for more information.

October 4, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Sitka Kitch to host a Cooking From Scratch class series in Fall 2016

Ever wanted to learn how to cook more and better food for less money?

Join us for a Cooking from Scratch series of cooking classes at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen, which is located in the First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road). Registered dietitian and health educator Lisa Sadleir-Hart, MPH, RD, will teach three classes designed to help Sitka residents learn how to expand their culinary skills while also eating healthy and stretching their food dollars.

The first class in this year’s fall series will focus on how to make yogurt using nonfat dried milk (registration link). It will be offered from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10. We offered this class last year, and it was a big hit.

The second Sitka Kitch Cooking from Scratch class is from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, and will focus on basic whole-grain breads (registration link) using the Tassajara bread technique. This class also was offered last year and the students enjoyed the lessons.

Class size is limited so register early. The cost is $27.50 per class, plus a food fee that will be divided among registered participants. For more information about the class series, call Lisa Sadleir-Hart at 747-5985.

September 27, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Scenes from the Community Kale Celebration held Sept. 26 at the Sitka Kitch

Kale grows well in Sitka and has lots of important vitamins and minerals, but what do you do with it once it’s ready to harvest from your garden? Sitka residents were able to find out more about how to grow and prepare kale at the inaugural Community Kale Celebration on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen, located in the First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road).

There was a variety of dishes using kale, prepared by the Sitka Kitch advisory team and the 4H Food and Nutrition club, including a crustless kale quiche, a savory kale bread pudding, kale chips, reindeer sausage kale soup, and chocolate kale cupcakes. In addition, there was kale juice (with carrots, apples, ginger and lemons) and kale smoothies (with bananas and blueberries). Participants learned how to incorporate more of this “super food” into their diets and how easy it is to grow in Sitka.

Money raised from this event will help the Sitka Kitch develop a scholarship fund for future Sitka Kitch classes, such as the class on making your own yogurt at home that takes place from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10. To learn more about our upcoming classes and to register for them, please check out our online registration page at https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on the class title to register).

A slideshow of scenes from the Community Kale Celebration is posted below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

September 16, 2016 by Charles Bingham

Sitka Kitch to host Community Kale Celebration on Monday, Sept. 26

Kale grows well in Sitka and has lots of important vitamins and minerals, but what do you do with it once it’s ready to harvest from your garden? Join us for the inaugural Community Kale Celebration from 5:30-7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen, located in the First Presbyterian Church (505 Sawmill Creek Road).

Sitka Kitch will join the 4H Food and Nutrition club and local cooks to introduce Sitkans to the wonders and scrumptiousness of kale. Participants will learn how to incorporate more of this “super food” into their diets and how easy it is to grow in Sitka. The 4H club will prepare several recipes for people to try, and local chefs will prepare a couple of additional recipes during the event.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door (family rates are available) or online at http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (just click on the event title to sign up). Money raised will help us develop a scholarship fund for future Sitka Kitch classes. Hope to see you there.

August 31, 2016 by Charles Bingham

UAF Cooperative Extension Service offers Certified Food Protection Manager class by videoconference Oct. 4 in Sitka

Tuesday, Sept. 20, is the registration deadline for a certified food protection manager workshop being taught on Tuesday, Oct. 4, by University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. This is an all-day statewide class that will be offered by videoconferencing to Bethel, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kodiak, Palmer, Sitka and Valdez.

A certified food protection manager (CFPM) is responsible for monitoring and managing all food establishment operations to ensure that the facility is operating in compliance with food establishment regulations.

A CFPM is knowledgeable about food safety practices and uses this knowledge to provide consumers with safe food, protect public health and prevent food-borne illnesses. Alaska regulations require food establishments to have at least one CFPM on staff.

This course takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with a half-hour lunch), and participants will take a computer-based exam at the end of the class. The reason the deadline is two weeks before the class is to guarantee course materials reach all the students in time for the class. The cost is $200, and the course will be taught by Julie Cascio of Palmer. Students can register here.

The Sitka videoconference for the class will take place in Room 106 at the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus. To learn more, contact Jasmine Shaw at the Sitka District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service at 747-9440, or contact Julie Cascio at (907) 745-3360 (Palmer number) or jmcascio@alaska.edu. Note, this class is taught in English but textbooks are available in Korean, Chinese and Spanish, just contact Julie at least three weeks before the class.

Also, the ServSafe book ($70) and certification exam ($75) now are available online, if people want to order the book and study independently without taking the class. Just go to this website and purchase the book and exam items.